Mother upset after vicious dog mauls 2-year-old boy in St Catherine

Sandra Thompson's two-year-old son lying on a bed after he was attacked by a dog in Lakemoor Gardens, St Catherine last week.

A mother is distraught and seeking answers from local authorities after her two-year-old child was bitten by a dog last week.

Sandra Thompson told Loop News that she along with her children were heading home Wednesday in the Lakemoor Gardens area of St Catherine when the incident occurred.

She said they were walking on the sidewalk in front of a house when her son, who was a few feet ahead, stopped and turned and stretched his hand out.

"Him just turn to me and his hand outstretched and the dog pushed its head through the gate and grabbed it and just started to bite my son," the distraught mother recalled.

"What make it worse is that when I told the owner to take my child to the doctor, she said 'if is asking I'm asking or telling her to'. All now she don't even ask how my child is doing nor the damage, pain and suffering he is enduring."

The child was however taken to the Spanish Town Hospital for treatment where he received stitches.

Loop News was unable to receive a comment from the dog owner. The dog was said to be a Great Dane, however it was not confirmed.

Thompson said she reported the matter to the Spanish Town Police but was told it's a court matter. She said she is considering to take legal action against the dog owner.

According to a lawyer, the mother can seek redress under the law.

"This is what is called a strict liability offence, the owner is liable for injury inflicted even if it is argued that he or she did not know that his/her dog(s) had the propensity to be aggressive or violent or that the attack was not caused by any negligence on his/her part," surmised the attorney-at-law.

Section 2 of the Dogs (Liability for Injuries by) Act provides that the owner of every dog shall be liable in damages for injury done to any person, or any cattle or sheep by his dog, and it shall not be necessary for the party seeking such damages to show a previous mischievous propensity in such dog, or the owner’s knowledge of such previous propensity or that the injury was attributable to neglect on the part of such owner.

Such damages shall be recoverable in any court of competent jurisdiction by the person injured, or by the owner of such cattle or sheep killed or injured.

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